Merchandise-transfer apparatus.



No. 701,961. Patented :une lo, |902.

A. w. swANlTz.

MERCHANDISE TRANSFER APPARATUS.

(Application mea Feb. zo, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-.Sheet I.

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N 7o|,96|. l Flammen June lo, |902.

A. w. swANlTz.

MERCHANDISE TRANSFER APPARATUS.

(Application med Feb. 2o, x9o1.) (No Model.) y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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A. W. SWANITZ., MERCHANDISE TRANSFER APPARATUS.

Patented lune lo, |902.

(Application led Feb. 20, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

vena?? UNITE-D- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER w. swANI'rZ, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssICNOR To s wANITz COMPANY, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,`I A CORPORATION OE DELAWARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iiatent` No. 701,'961,"d`ated June 10,1902.

Application filed February 20, 1901. Serial No. 48,178.l (No model.) i l To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER WILLIAM SWANITZ, a citizen ofthe United States, re-

siding in Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve-v ments in Merchandise-Transfer Apparatus, (Case No. 2,) of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

- is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus'for use in transferring merchandise or goods from car to car when the same areupon the same track not far apart or upon different tracks Figure 1 is a transverse section showing a,

merchandise-transfer apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2is a plan section of thesame, also showing some of the details. Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation of one portion of my invention, and Fig.` 4 is a partial plansection on a larger scale than that shown-in Figs. 1 and 2. l

Referring now more particularly to Fig.. l, it will be seen that between a couple of tracks 5, on which'stand some freight-cars 6, I have constructed a transfer shed or house provided with walls 7 and a roof 8, the roof being preferably extended out over the tracks, as shown at 9, in order to partially protect the. cars. In the walls 7 are arranged a plurality of door-openings 10, covered by doors 11, and upon the inside of the said door-openings are platforms 12 of such dimension that a considerable space vwill be left between the same on opposite sides of the transfer-house. Between the platforms 12 I arrange a tractionfloor 13, the foundation of which, 14,.is'pref erably of concrete, and the upper surf-ace of which, 15, is preferablyof some hard smooth- Wearing material, such as steel or other suitable material. Constructed to run upon the 5o ioor 13 I provide a truck or trucks 16, ar-

ranged to be driven' by means of a fluid-pressure motor 17, (seeFig. 4,) the said motor being supplied with pressure from a storage vtank or tanks 1S, having an'intake or valvecontrolled inlet 19. I prefer to place one of the intake or valve-controlled inlet-openings at each side ofthe truck, as shownin Fig. 4:.

Adjacent to the'infner side of'the platforms 12, and preferablyimmediately below the projecting edge of theplioor thereof, I arrange a iluid-pressure-supply main 2Q, provided with 4valve-controlled outlets 2l, arranged at inter.

vals thereon, andas a means for forming a connection between said valve-controlled outlets and the intakeon the truck I provide the truck with a Iiexible connection or hose-22, adapted to 'bereadily engaged and disengaged from said valve-controlled outlets,whereby the storage tanks upon the Vtruck can be charged while the truck is beingloadedin any position adjacentto the tracks 5 or the platforms 12. v

The operation of my-iuvention is as follows The truck 16,v standingadjacent to the platform 12, as shown vin Fig.`1`,`while it is being loaded with" merchandise which `has been taken from the car 6 across theplatform and which has to be'transferred to some other 'car-as, for example, the caradjacent to the platform on the opposite side-is coupled with one of the valve-controlled outlets from the hose or flexible Vconnection22, as shown in Fig. 4, and the controlling-valves 23 opened.

The pressure in the main, fwhch may be `perliaps in excess of seven hundred pounds and is preferably compressed air supplied from any suitable source, then flowsinto the storage-tanks 18, charging the `same while the desired where the-merchandise, carried can` be conveniently transferredacrossthe plat form 12 onto the car for which it was intended.

It is obvious that in an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention I iiuid-pressure-supply main by means of the Ido am enabled to readily and economically transfer freight from any caron either of the tracks 5 to any other car on either of the side tracks in which it may be desired to put the goods, and the traction-floor being entirely free from rails or unevennesses, but little power will be required in moving the truck about, and there will be no interference between any two trucks, although as many can be employed as may be desired, provided only sufficient room be left between them and the platforms to move them about.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A merchandisc-transfer apparatus comprising a traction-floor, a truck for carrying merchandise thereon, a fluid-pressure motor for moving said truck, steering mechanism for guiding said truck on said floor, a storagereservoir upon said truck for supplying said motor with pressure, a storage-reservoir intake upon said truck, a fluid-pressure-supply main supported adjacent to said tractioniioor, a valve -controlled outlet from said main, and means for connecting said outlet with said intake, substantially as described.

2. A merchandise-transfer apparatus comprising a traction-floor, a truck for carrying merchandise thereon, a Huid-pressure motor for moving said truck, steering mechanism for guiding said truck on said floor, a storagereservoir upon said truck for su pplying said motor with pressure, a storage-reservoir intake upon said truck, a uid-pressure-snpply main supported adjacent to said tractionfloor, a plurality of valve-controlled outlets from said main arranged at intervals thereon, and means for connecting said outlet with said intake, substantially as described.

3. A merchandise-transfer apparatus comprising a traction-floor, a truck for carrying merchandise thereon, a duid-pressure motor for moving said truck, steering mechanism for guiding said truck on said door, a storagereservoir upon said truck for supplying said motor with pressure, a storage-reservoir intake upon said truck, a fluid-pressure-supply main at each side of said tractioniloor supported adjacent to said traction-f1oor, Valve-controlled outlets from said mains, and means for connecting said outlet with said intake, substantially as described.

4. A merchandise-transfer apparatus comprising a traction-door, a truck for carrying merchandise thereon, a duid-pressure motor for moving said truck, steering mechanism for guiding said truck on said door, a storagereservoir upon said truck for supplying said motor with pressure, a storage-reservoir intake upon said truck, a fluid-pressure-supply main at each side of said traction-floor, and under said platform, supported adjacent to said traction-door, a valve-controlled outlet from said main, and means for connecting said outlet with said intake, substantially as described.

5. A merchandisc-transfer apparatus comprising two parallel tracks, two platforms arranged within said tracks and adjacent thereto, a traction-floor between said platforms, a merchandise-carrying truck upon said door, a fluid-pressure motor upon said truck provided with a storage-reservoir and a valvecontrolled intake for said reservoir, a iiuidpressure-supply main supported adjacent to said traction-floor, a plurality of valve-controlled outlets from said main arranged at intervals thereon, and means for connecting said intake with the outlet on said main whereby the storage-truck can be charged while the same is being loaded adjacent to said platform, substantially as described.

ALEXANDER NV. SVVANITZ.

Vitnesses:

PAUL CARPENTER, FRANK O. GREEN. 

